APR ECU Upgrade MK6 Golf - Customer perspective

[Guy_H]

You should be fine with an MY 11 GTI, we have done quite a lot.

There is always the chance, when new cars roll off the boat, they have a different part number or version (or in the case of the new Jetta's & Passat's - totally different ECU's).

It's nice to know that if you are the one case in 50 that has something new, it will be a two visit trip.

If I was a betting man, I would say you are 97.3% safe as our own MY11 GTI is a week old & we just did it.

[Hhawker]

Hi Guys,

Recently emailed my local APR dealer Re Stage 1 on my 2011 GTI, and got the below response.

"As this vehicle is very new it may not not yet have the program written for it. We will need to sight the ECU and find out from APR."

Just wondering whether it is normal to have to take the car down for an inspection before organising an appointment to have the upgrade done? Does this response also imply they will want to remove the ECU?

The dealer in question is Quattro Motors, in Perth. As far as I'm aware they're the only option available to me for APR here in WA.

Thanks Guys.

[Peteaussi]

Got my Stage 1 flash today.... wow.... I also installed a carbonio intake last night and the combination of the two is the dogs nuts in my opinion. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear wheel spin gets me giggling. Not to mention the increase turbo blow off without being one of those showy twats. Thanks APR for having an Easter sale on a day I have off from work.

[Guy_H]

Hi M3103,

The Diesel's don't have enough memory for trial software, but you certainly get a 7 day money back satisfaction guarantee. (Oettinger)

[m3103]

I understand that APR has the option of a six hour trial for their product?
Does this include their diesel variant! (oettinger I believe?)
Thanks

[logger]

Pretty sure I worked out why my 98 Ron tune spontaneously stopped working without me switching anything. At some point I have had a fault in my Ignition switch that spat "Electrical Fault in Circuit - Intermittent" messages on four separate terminals. When this occurred it appears to have interrupted power to the ENG ECU. Cutting the power to the ECU means the the APR software will default to program 1 when power returns. In a standard installation this is Stock mode.

Just to follow up. The tune was spontaneously switching back to stock pretty much on a daily basis. The "Electrical Fault in Circuit - Intermittent" message was returning each time the car was left overnight.
So about a month ago I persuaded VW to replace the electrical portion of the IGN switch under warranty. Since then the Tune has been as good as gold and no unwanted switching. So problem fixed I'd say. I wanted to drive the car for a while to be sure it was actually fixed before reporting back. So all good again.

[Guy_H]

If its paid up, shouldn't be a problem, just check with your local APR dealer.

[ganis5]

Does anyone know if you can transfer the apr back to stock 3 year 'warranty' to the cars second owner?

[brimway]

Just had the 6 hr trial flash last week and have to say I was underwhelmed until I hit third gear, which just rocketed me off with the new torque thanks to APR. From there it was a great 4 or so days of driving until the trial ran out, then (could be placebo) I felt like I was driving a Yaris.

No exaggeration, the car just had no punch. I don't actually think the difference was that marked beforehand.

After that I had to go back and stage 1 done permanently to satisfy my torque craving, so I forked out the money.

While I was getting the flash done for good, I had a chat to another customer who quietly mentioned that there has been at least one incident of an Audi being flashed for trial where the owner demanded to know what they had done to his stock settings afterwards - he was adamant that the car was driving far more sluggishly than before. APR then "reset" his "stock" settings quietly. This particular guy I was talking to said that if you read extensively enough, there are multiple cases of owners who have accused APR of resetting the stock settings after trial to a lower level where you will be effectively forced to go back and pay to have the Stage 1 flash done.

I take no sides on this issue - bottom line is that with Stage 1 installed my GTI is a cracker and I'm driving it more than ever, but I did sit there in my "Yaris" for a few days just wondering what had happened...

I didn't let my trial expire before going the hole hog! I would seriously doubt that they would tinker with stock settings. After APR stage 1, I had APR turbo back exhaust fitted and reflash to suit, and in stock mode is still better than original stock mode, so Mike Weber certainly didn't mess with mine. I could not be happier with the results so far, but hunger is taking hold.

[Beena]

I got a Stage 1 done to my R by Dean at VolksPower this morning - very noticeable! Went back to drive my mates stock R (with 500km) and the difference was even more profound.

So in my first 24hrs of VW ownership I've driven 900km and done my first mod! I wonder what this says about the future...

Also found that Dean has the same (almost) plates as me on his white R with black wheels - GLFR and V GLFR!
That's got me thinking... If i cover up the 'V' with black tape then Dean will pay my tolls and speeding fines for me...

[Escell]

Just had the 6 hr trial flash last week and have to say I was underwhelmed until I hit third gear, which just rocketed me off with the new torque thanks to APR. From there it was a great 4 or so days of driving until the trial ran out, then (could be placebo) I felt like I was driving a Yaris.

No exaggeration, the car just had no punch. I don't actually think the difference was that marked beforehand.

After that I had to go back and stage 1 done permanently to satisfy my torque craving, so I forked out the money.

While I was getting the flash done for good, I had a chat to another customer who quietly mentioned that there has been at least one incident of an Audi being flashed for trial where the owner demanded to know what they had done to his stock settings afterwards - he was adamant that the car was driving far more sluggishly than before. APR then "reset" his "stock" settings quietly. This particular guy I was talking to said that if you read extensively enough, there are multiple cases of owners who have accused APR of resetting the stock settings after trial to a lower level where you will be effectively forced to go back and pay to have the Stage 1 flash done.

I take no sides on this issue - bottom line is that with Stage 1 installed my GTI is a cracker and I'm driving it more than ever, but I did sit there in my "Yaris" for a few days just wondering what had happened...

[Corey_R]

Yes, I would agree with that assessment.

The only comment I would have about going further than your closest dealer is if you intended to have additional work done (servicing, Stage 2 or higher, handling mods such as suspension, rollbars etc) where technical expertise and experience did come into play. In that case it may be worth travelling further to the company you deem to be the "best", so that in the future when you get that additional work done, you've already got that relationship with them.

[ctan]

Thanks Corey. That really puts it in perspective. In terms of installation I should think that it is not a delicate technical challenge and all the dealers would do any equal job. Based on this I think it is best to get it done by the dealer closest to my location then.

[Corey_R]

1. Do all dealers in NSW (or other states) charge for this 6 hour trial?

Not all of them do, however, it seems that far too many people have been taking advantage of APR's "free trial" and then going off and purchasing "cheaper alternatives" from companies that either don't offer free trials or have no convenient method (i.e. dealer network) of providing a free trial. So whilst it is at each dealers disgression, I can understand the fact they are doing this now.

In a way it's like going to a shoe store to try on a bunch of shoes, but then walking out and ordering them on the internet. This type of things is happening across so many industries these days

2. If so, should the ECU need to be reinstalled because it is reverted to stock during a VW service for whatever reason, will there be a labor charge for this too? If not, how many times is the APR dealer prepared to do this w/o charge?

You'll need to ask the specific dealer. In the past I was told that this was without charge. But it's so rare that in my 3 years of VW ownership, I haven't had this occur.

[ctan]

Hi,

Need some advice on this as I am thinking of getting this done to my Mk6. I live in NSW. There are 3 dealers in NSW as advertised on the APR web site. I started by speaking to the one closest to my office about the 6 hour free trial. Unfortunately it is not free with this dealer (not sure about the others). There is a charge of $100.00 for this free trial to cover labor costs which is then credited to me if I decide to go ahead with the purchase (if made within a 2 week period). I asked if I would get the credit if I purchase it a few months later when they have their sales special with the discounts. The answer is No.

I have 2 questions :

1. Do all dealers in NSW (or other states) charge for this 6 hour trial?

2. If so, should the ECU need to be reinstalled because it is reverted to stock during a VW service for whatever reason, will there be a labor charge for this too? If not, how many times is the APR dealer prepared to do this w/o charge?

Any advice on this is much appreciated.